Market Commentary and Intraday News

Thai Shares May Reverse Monday's Losses

203 days ago

(RTTNews) - The Thai stock market has moved lower now in consecutive trading days, dipping almost 20 points or 1.5 percent in the process. The Stock Exchange of Thailand ended just below the 1,280-point plateau, and now traders are looking for a positive bounce when the market kicks off trade on Tuesday.

The global forecast for the Asian markets suggests little movement, devoid of any lead from the United States but for concern over Hurricane Sandy. The major stock markets in New York City announced Monday that trading will remain on hold for a second consecutive day on Tuesday in the face of the record-setting storm. The European markets were mostly lower on Monday, and the Asian markets may open in similar fashion on Tuesday.

The SET finished slightly lower on Monday as weakness from the financial shares was offset by support from the energy producers.

For the day, the index lost 2.24 points or 0.17 percent to finish at 1,279.57 after trading between 1,274.90 and 1,283.74. Volume was 4.287 billion shares worth 25.403 billion baht. There were 299 decliners and 225 gainers, with 153 stocks finishing unchanged.

Among the actives, energy giant PTT was up 0.96 percent, while PTT Exploration and Production surged 3.53 percent, PTT Global Chemicals jumped 1.72 percent, coal miner Banpu was flat, Siam Concrete added 0.28 percent, Thai Airways collected 0.44 percent, Bangkok Bank climbed 1.14 percent, Kasikornbank shed 0.29 percent and Siam Commercial Bank dipped 0.32 percent.

There is no lead from Wall Street as the markets were closed for at least the first two days of the week by the storm. NYSE Euronext (NYX), the parent of the New York Stock Exchange, said it will close its markets in coordination with all U.S. equities, bonds, options and derivatives markets on Tuesday.

The company said it intend to re-open the U.S. markets Wednesday morning if conditions permit. Weather has not forced the New York Stock Exchange to close for two consecutive days since the Great Blizzard of 1888.

Similarly, NASDAQ OMX Group (NDAQ) said the NASDAQ Stock Market and other NASDAQ OMX-owned U.S exchanges and markets will remain closed on Tuesday. NASDAQ also said it expects all NASDAQ OMX-owned U.S. exchanges and markets to open as normal on Wednesday.

Treasuries moved modestly higher over the course of an abbreviated trading session on Monday, extending the strong upward move seen last Friday.

Bond prices moved to the upside in early trading and managed to remain in positive territory. As a result, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, fell by 3 basis points to 1.72 percent.

U.S. crude oil settled lower Monday on demand concerns on the threat posed by Hurricane Sandy with a number of refineries on reduced operation or have shut down production in anticipation of the event. The dollar also strengthened against a basket of major currencies, with investors finding it a safe haven even as the hurricane nears landfall.

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